How Could Someone Qualify for the Maximum Social Security Benefit?

Dear Hayek,

In doing some research, I saw that the maximum Social Security amount, with the 2.5 percent cost of living increase in 2025, is $5,108 a month. What would someone need to do to qualify for this amount?

Thanks for your help!

Mo Monee

—

Dear Mo,

Recently, the Social Security Administration set its 2025 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) at 2.5 percent. This is the smallest annual COLA increase since 2021, but every bit counts. The reason is that the COLA is based on recent inflation rates, and because price hikes have slowed from last year, seniors are receiving a smaller benefit increase for 2025.

If you look at the 2025 Social Security Fact Sheet, you will see that the maximum monthly Social Security benefit is $5,108 a month. That’s pretty good! However, achieving the maximum benefit requires careful planning for your working life. Let’s take a closer look at what’s needed to reach this benefit amount.

• Work Duration: At least 35 years
• Claiming Age: Age 70
• Annual Earnings: Consistently above the maximum taxable limit (See table for details.)

Strategies for Those Who Don’t Qualify for the Maximum Benefit

Even if you don’t qualify for the maximum Social Security check, there are things you can do to boost your Social Security benefits:

1. Waiting Until age 70 to Begin Collecting Social Security: One of the simplest ways to increase your monthly Social Security check is to delay claiming it. The longer you wait to claim, the higher your monthly benefit will be. Although you can start claiming benefits as early as age 62, delaying your claim results in a higher monthly payment, with the maximum benefit available at age 70. That doesn’t mean you should always wait to claim. In fact, many financial advocates encourage their clients to claim as early as possible, especially if you don’t need a monthly income and are able to invest it and earn a higher rate of return on that investment then you would earn by waiting to claim Social Security at a later age. When to claim is a personal question for everyone, and you should always do a careful analysis, which you can do through an experienced financial advisor and/or through various online calculators that can help you determine the best time for you to claim.
2. Work More than 35 Years: The SSA calculates your benefit amount based on your highest-earning 35 years. If you have more than 35 years of work, the lower-earning years can be replaced with higher-earning years, resulting in a greater average and thus a higher benefit.
3. Increase Your Earnings: Since Social Security benefits are based on your average indexed monthly earnings, increasing your income can also help you get a bigger benefit. If you are in a position to take on a higher-paying job or work extra hours, boosting your earnings can make a significant difference in the benefit you ultimately receive.
4. Estimate Your Longevity: How long you expect to live should factor into your calculation of when to take your benefit. Calculations, such as determining your break-even age, can help determine the optimal age to take Social Security, as can an analysis of projected income and expenses in retirement.
5. Suspend Your Social Security Payments: This is a little-known strategy you can use if you change your mind after claiming a benefit. For example, if you retir and start collecting Social Security but then decide to go back to work, suspending your payments will enable you to earn more credits and a higher benefit later.
   70. This strategy is only available if you’ve already reached your full-retirement age (67). You can suspend the benefit, and it will automatically restart once you turn 70. You can also request to have the benefit restarted earlier.
6. Pay Back Your Social Security Benefit: If your full-retirement age is 67 but you decide to take your benefit at age 63, you’ll be taking a reduced benefit for life. If you realize you don’t need the money after all or decide to continue working, you may choose to stop receiving your benefit.
   1. It has to happen within 12 months of your claiming date.
   2. You’ll have to pay back all benefits you’ve received, but you’re setting yourself up for a higher benefit later.
7. Use a Social Security Spousal Benefits Strategy: Married couples can take advantage of a specific way to maximize the household benefit. The lower-earning spouse can take their own retirement benefit at 62; then the higher-earning spouse can wait until 67 to file. At that time, the lower-earning spouse can switch to the spousal benefit if it’s higher than their own.
8. Maximize Social Security Survivor Benefits: Widows and widowers can still take advantage of a restricted benefit previously available to all married spouses before 2016. For example, at 62, you may want to claim the survivor benefit while allowing your own retirement benefit to continue to grow, and at age 70, you switch to your now larger retirement benefit. The claiming strategy that will work best for you will depend on your age, earning history, and the amount of benefits available.
9. Claim Social Security Survivor Benefits for Children: There are a few circumstances in which a person under age 18 is eligible for benefits: when a parent is deceased, disabled, or retired.
   1. These benefits stop once the recipient reaches age 18 unless they are a student or have a disability.
   2. A child can receive up to half the parent’s full retirement or disability benefits.
   3. If a child receives survivor benefits, they can get up to 75% of the deceased parent’s basic Social Security benefit.
   4. There is a maximum family benefit based on the parent’s full benefit amount. Families should consult the SSA to determine the family amount to which they are entitled.

Hope this helps!
Hayek